after a certain point science and magic become the same thing when you know how to make it work but don’t know why it works. …. and I’m now staring at my smart phone thinking that this thing would more or less be magic during the 1990’s

There’s not really any sense in differentiating them. Science is learning about how the universe works. If you have some kind of ineffable wild magic, then maybe it’s something science can’t understand. But if there’s even the slightest ability to predict magic, let alone use it, it’s a perfectly valid branch of science.

Hey! I resent that! What you’re describing is what I like to call “generic placeholder magic”, which appears when people say “it works because magic”. There are, however, many great stories where magic has certain definitive rules and limitations. Think of the Stormlight Archive Series (or any of Brandon Sanderson’s works, really), Fullmetal Alchemist, where magic can’t do just anything and when it does something wild, there is an explanation as to how and why.

I’m calling it now: Alex breaks up with Buckaress and starts dating Lazer Pony based on their mutual nerd loves.

(Yes, I know everything that’s wrong with that prediction. I’d still find it funny if Buckaress started getting jealous of Lazer Pony, and needed to be reminded why she could be sure that Alex wasn’t cheating on her with LP. /That/ is more likely.)

Just now, 5:40 PM Eastern USA time, November 10, 2018, I finished reading every strip from the beginning. Thanks to all the writers and artists who have given me so much pleasure. I am kind of poor and cant spend money on entertainment and finding a web comic like this with 800+ strips posted has made the last few weeks magical for me. And the comments, too. Love you guys and thank you again.

Oh and P.S.: you guys are disappointing me. No one quoted Arthur C. Clarke to the effect that advanced science (of the sort we see all the time in this strip) is indistinguishable from magic. And by the (is it the) Reflective property (?) magic is therefore indistinguishable from advanced science.

Know what would be funny? If when someone asks how some magical artifact or something works the wizard tries to explain it away with “it’s magic” but the person who asked gets mad and demands a proper answer. then the wizard’s face lights up and he drags out a big chalkboard and goes into an elaborate explanation or acanobabble while making notation in illegible ancient scripts on the chalkboard before finally the person who asked apologizes and swears to never ask again.